Michael Brauer shares various techniques to enhance the impact of a chorus using panning, volume automation, effects automation, and EQ.
He discusses the importance of creating width by making the chorus wider and the verse tighter. Adding low and high frequencies can extend the chorus' frequency response, making it sound bigger. Adding reverb and other effects can provide additional depth. Brauer emphasizes that while the arrangement should ideally create impact on its own, these mixing techniques can significantly enhance transitions and the mix's dramaturgy.
Additionally, he explains how volume automation, such as lowering the master fader during verses and raising it during choruses or bridges, can have a dramatic impact. This approach can be particularly useful when the arrangement lacks certain elements to naturally build intensity.
Brauer highlights the mixer’s role in using creative processing to elevate a track, ensuring that each section of the song delivers the desired emotional and sonic impact.